


the path we never took

by Darth Occlus (NotSummer)



Series: divergance (complete) [5]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe of an Alternate Universe, Blood and Gore, Established Relationship, Explosions, F/F, F/M, Gore, Lesbians in Space, Pirates, Space Pirates, Undercover, Undercover as a Couple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-11
Updated: 2018-01-11
Packaged: 2019-03-03 08:12:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13337064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotSummer/pseuds/Darth%20Occlus
Summary: Infiltrate, listen, return to base. They've had harder assignments, but a mysterious death could cripple their mission before it even truly begins.





	the path we never took

Going undercover as a couple is a lot easier when you’re secretly a couple. Miyala didn’t need an excuse or a scarf for the hickeys all over her neck or a reason for the irregularities in her stride. She didn’t need to worry about wrapping an arm around her boyfriend’s new armor.

“You know, I’d much rather be helping you out of this armor, Ala,” Jesse said, finishing up the last straps. When Master Zey had given her the armor she was supposed to wear, she had forseen an issue with a few of the stripes. And she had been right. Thankfully, Jesse’s armor was much better designed, and he had buckled into it with ease.

Well. It was Mandalorian. They  _ did _ know how to do armor correctly. Which was good, because Miyala reviewed the guest list in her head at this meeting, and bit her lip anxiously. A multitude of dangerous pirate captains were meeting for this dinner. It was supposed to be a discussion on various trade routes and picking up the spoils from GAR and CIS clashes.

“I know,” she said distractedly. She shook herself, and turned to face her boyfriend. “I know,” she repeated, stretching on her tiptoes to kiss his helmet where his mouth would have been.

He carefully tapped his helmet to her brow in a Keldabe kiss, all too aware he was the only one wearing any head coverings. “We’ll be fine,” he said.

“You’re right,” she said, taking a deep breath before stepping out into the hallway leading to the meeting room.

She was met by chaos. Shouting was engulfing the room, and she saw the corpse of one of the captains cooling on the table. Jesse’s hand landed on her waist, his fingers moving against her side in a sign language they had taught themselves for missions such as these.

_ What’s the plan? Mission objective unchanged? _

Her hand caressed the back of his.

_ Wait for more intel. _

A Rodian captain pointed at them. “You weren’t here! Perhaps you poisoned his food! Backstabbing sleemo!”

Jesse’s voice growled through audio speakers. “You think we murdered Captain K’vara?” He pulled sharply on Miyala, tugging her body into his suggestively. “You really think I’d be busy murdering some pirate shabuir when I’ve got this lady in my room?” His scornful leer was met with jeers, and the pirates turned away laughing, disregarding them as the murderers for the most part. Some suspicious glances remained, but Miyala’s embarrassed shuffle and the dark bruises on her neck supported their (true) story. She let out a breath, and looked up at him, before giving a nearly imperceptible nod and taking a step back.

They walked through the crowd, taking their own spot in a corner where they sat on some crates. Their role was to gather intelligence, to observe, and that meant they only needed to bring back intelligence on possible rifts between pirates, ones that were friendly to the republic, and ones that weren’t. Which meant they just needed to avoid being accused. She curled into his side, watching closely.

There was an undeniably separation of pirates. Apparently the pirate killed had been an CIS sympathizer, and that meant the more Republic aligned pirates were huddling together to avoid accusation. No one wanted to irritate a mass of allied pirates. Not when the others were split into Black Sun, CIS, Cartel, and Pike Syndicate allied factions.

The Kel Dor examining the body, seemingly oblivious to the chaos, stood up suddenly. The room went quiet as everyone waiting to hear what zie had to say. “It’s  _ koyi _ venom. Native to Ryloth.”

Miyala’s heart sank, and she looked up at Jesse with wide eyes. There was two Twi’leks in the room. Two. Her eyes met the purple skinned woman’s, and she knew in the Force the other woman was not innocent.

Upon hearing the pronouncement by the Kel Dor, though, the entirety of the room turned to the Twi’lek and her Mandalorian wife. “Huntress Koyi,” the Kel Dor said softly. “You could not have been less obvious if you tried.”

Miyala inhaled. She wasn’t going to be accused, but-. Her muscles tensed, and Jesse slipped off the crates. His boots were silent on the ground as his hands hovered over his blasters. Miyala’s own hand slipped to linger above her hidden lightsaber, hardly taking breath as she waited to see what happened next.

“My dear, perhaps I wanted to be obvious.” Koyi studied her fingernails, looking for all the world like she was lounging in an Alderaanian place instead of leaning on stained crates on a pirate ship. A smile tugged at her lips, and then she moved.

Detonators rolled across the floor, red lights flickering. Miyala grabbed Jesse’s shoulder and hauled him behind her. She threw up a Barrier just in time as the detonators exploded, sharpnel bursting all across the shield.

She shuddered as she dropped her barrier. Gore and unrecognizable body parts covered the floor, and the room stank of blood dripping from a dozen species. Miyala shifted, and her foot landed on something with a squelch.

Koyi lounged across the room, her eyes gleaming. “Well, well, well. So the mysterious Captain of the  _ Occlus _ , Mi Kallig, is a Jedi.” The Pantoran was grinning, and Miyala’s shoulders sagged. And then her eyes narrowed.

There was a semicircle of shrapnel around Koyi and her Mando’ad wife.”You’re a Force User,” she said. Jesse stiffened behind her.

Koyi tilted her head, and Miyala blinked as the gem in her headdress caught the light. A kyber crystal. “I was once part of the Order, but no Master wanted me. They said I was too reckless, too undisciplined.” Her lips pursed. “We shall see.”

The Pantoran shrugged. “Their greatest failure then, was my greatest victory.” Koyi melted, her dispassionate features melting into a loving smile.

“Kii, ni kar’tayli gar darasuum.” Miyala felt as if she was intruding on a stolen moment, even surrounded by the corpses.

“I hate to interrupt,” Jesse said, finally, “But our mission was to surveil these pirates and try to bring back information to the Republic we could use.” He pulled off his helmet, tucking it under his arm.

“You’re looking for privateers,” Kii said. “Fuck, we can get you a list. For the right price. All these people had bounties on them, though.” She held up a DNA scanner. “It was easier to grab everything for the bounties in one place.”

Jesse snickered, and the two exchanged grins. He soon sobered though. “That data will be helpful, but it wasn’t the mission objective. We were looking for patterns in Seppie aligned pirates to see if someone was paying them or if they just preferred GAR targets.” Anger threaded through his tone, and Miyala sat back, letting him handle it.

Kii sat back. “Well, that information might cost you a little extra.” She gestured smugly. “For the right price, I suppose I could try to see if the CIS would pay me to raid GAR targets. I’m just a simple pirate. Times are tough these days.”

“No, it’s not going to cost us a little extra. You’ve already sunk a GAR mission. I’d hate for you to be added to a list of acceptable targets for our Special Forces.” He scowled at Kii, and she glared back, but subsided.

“Fine. You’ll get your information, but after I turn in all these bounties.” She crossed her arms in a huff, as Jesse smirked.

“The Republic appreciates the efforts of its loyal citizens.” Pulling his helmet back on, he gestured to Miyala. “C’mon. We’ll head to our ship and get off this station.”

Across the room, Kii’s comm beeped, and she looked up at Jesse with surprise. His helmet dipped as he nodded at her, and she scowled. “You should keep your encryptions more up to date,” he said, his voice a silky rumble distorted slightly by the vocalizer.

He strode out of the room, heading back to the station’s myriad hangers and airlocks where their ship was located. Miyala hurried after him, and ventured quietly, “Perhaps we should take a look at those ships”

He paused, slowing his stride. “There was a nice cruiser one of the gangs came in on. Illegal armament, upgraded shields. Mon Cal origins.”

“Well…. It’s not like they’re using it anymore.” Miyala grinned up at him. He gave her a Keldable kiss, his gloved hand coming up to ghost down her lekku, and she shivered.

“Rendezvous later? I’ll send you coordinates. I might check out some of the other ships first, see if there’s anything worth, ah, salvaging.” He backed away, waiting for her nod, and then disappeared down into the maze of corridors.

She stood still for a moment, then shook her head, heading back to the  _ Occlus _ . There were a couple more ships she wanted to take a look at parked right next to her own. Time to salvage what else she could.

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't realize it when I wrote it, but I like the symbolism of the two Twi'lek and their mandalorian partners facing each other. An ex-jedi and an embittered mercenary looking over at a Jedi and a clone.
> 
> Paths not taken, I suppose.


End file.
